B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Faridkot jail inmates to be medically examined
Faridkot, July 12
The death of a prisoner at the time when the Health and Family Welfare Minister was in the town last evening sparked off a debate about the poor health facilities in the in the Central Jail here. The death on Thursday evening is the fourth such incident that took place in the jail in the last 12 days.

Emergency duties for specialists to go: Minister
Fazilka, July 12
All post-graduate specialist doctors in the Health Department would be exempted from emergency duties, said Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal while talking to mediapersons after the state-level programme on the World Population Day here yesterday.

Farmers demand eight-hour power supply
Barnala, July 12
Members of the 17 farmer and labour organisations staged a dharna on Friday at the offices of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for not providing eight-hour power supply in a day to tubewell motors during the current paddy season. 

Fire tender sent back to Fazilka
Abohar, July 12
Over 12 NGOs besides 1.75 lakh residents of the sub-divisional town felt cheated as the fire tender that was shifted from Fazilka to Abohar to “foil the protest by the joint action committee of the NGOs” was sent back to Fazilka this evening.

Faridkot jail inmates to be medically examined
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 12
The death of a prisoner at the time when the Health and Family Welfare Minister was in the town last evening sparked off a debate about the poor health facilities in the in the Central Jail here. The death on Thursday evening is the fourth such incident that took place in the jail in the last 12 days.

Expressing concern on the increasing deaths in the jail, Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal issued directions for conducting medical examination of over 1,800 inmates lodged there. The minister directed that a panel of three doctors - two from the Civil Hospital and one doctor from the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College - be constituted for the purpose.

During a meeting with the minister, the administration and jail authorities expressed concern about the shortage of doctors and paramedical staff in the jail hospital. The minister assured that the shortage will be overcome in the coming days after newly recruited doctors join their duties.

Yesterday evening, Heera Singh (47), an undertrial in an attempt to murder case, died in the jail here after he had bouts of vomiting with specks of blood. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital but was declared brought dead. At that time, the minister was in the hospital to inaugurate a building.

Two days ago, a 30-year-old convict in a murder case died with similar symptoms.

On July 5, a 32-year-old prisoner died of a mysterious disease and on July 2, an undertrial in abetment to suicide case died in the jail.

During the meeting with the minister, the administration expressed apprehension about the use of drugs by inmates and exchange of syringes which was believed to the the main reason for the increasing cases of Hepatitis-C and jaundice in the jail. The minister said a full-time psychiatrist would be appointed in the jail for treatment and counselling of drug-addicts.

“The medical examination of all the inmates will prove helpful in their treatment besides identifying the cause of the diseases and deaths," said the minister.

The modern jail here was inaugurated two years ago and 24 deaths have taken place in the jail since then. Nine inmates died this year.

Apart from poor health services in the jail hospital, the jail officials have also been under attack for making clandestine supply of drugs to 'addicts' in the jail. 

 Emergency duties for specialists to go: Minister
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, July 12
All post-graduate specialist doctors in the Health Department would be exempted from emergency duties, said Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal while talking to mediapersons after the state-level programme on the World Population Day here yesterday.

Citing it to be a major reason for specialists not taking up government job, Mittal said the department was working out a proposal for creating a separate cadre for specialist doctors.

Earlier, Mittal accompanied by local MLA and Cabinet Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani and Member of Parliament from Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency, Sher Singh Ghubaya, attended the state-level programme organised by the Health Department.

 Farmers demand eight-hour power supply

Barnala, July 12
Members of the 17 farmer and labour organisations staged a dharna on Friday at the offices of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for not providing eight-hour power supply in a day to tubewell motors during the current paddy season. 

The protesters said before the paddy season, the Chief Minister and the PSPCL chairman had made tall claims about providing eight-hour power supply, but the farmers did not get it even for a day after June 10. They said the crop was drying and farmers are being forced to irrigate their fields by using diesel gensets, costing them thousands of rupees. They asked the state government to ensure the power supply. — TNS

 Fire tender sent back to Fazilka
Our Correspondent

Abohar, July 12
Over 12 NGOs besides 1.75 lakh residents of the sub-divisional town felt cheated as the fire tender that was shifted from Fazilka to Abohar to “foil the protest by the joint action committee of the NGOs” was sent back to Fazilka this evening.

The Fazilka MC executive officer had last evening revealed that the 1985 model fire tender had been shifted to Abohar for just 48 hours. The action has put the local BJP leadership, including its district president, Municipal Council president and convener of the action committee, who had warmly welcomed the vehicle with much pomp and show, in a spot on Wednesday evening.

None of them was available for comments as fire station officials Suraj Kumar and Viplesh Kumar arrived here from Fazilka to take the custody of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, sources said shifting of the fire fighting vehicle from Fazilka to Abohar was a well-planned spinner as Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal was to visit the district yesterday and the action committee had planned a protest march and a dharna on the same day.

Interestingly, the term of the local municipal council is going to expire on Monday.

The BJP runs the Municipal Councils at Abohar and Fazilka.

The leaders of the saffron party were confident that the stir over fire tenders once foiled would not be able to raise its head again. However, the current development can harm the prospects of the ruling party in the next elections as it had been under fire for not resolving chronic problems related to sewerage and water supply.